Labor ‘sellout’ on pokies as Libs quiet on tax rate

Tasmanian Labor has completed its capitulation on poker machine reform, signing a deal backing their presence in pubs and clubs, despite previously planning their elimination.

Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tasmanian Labor has completed its capitulation on poker machine reform, signing a deal backing their presence in pubs and clubs, despite previously planning their elimination.

At the last state election in 2018, Labor proposed phasing out gaming machines from pubs and clubs, prompting a flood of gaming industry donations to the Liberals, who won a second term.

 However, the policy was dropped after the election and Labor leader Rebecca White on Wednesday confirmed the party had recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tasmanian Hospitality Association, backing the presence of pokies in pubs and clubs. 

The deal also agrees that harm minimisation measures — likely to be a key issue considered by the next parliament after the May 1 election — “need to be workable for industry”.

 Anti-pokies campaigners called the deal, struck in February, a “sell out” and demanded Labor detail what donations if any it had received from venues with poker machines, either directly or indirectly.

Ms White, however, said the agreement was one of a number made with various industries and showed Labor took consultation seriously. 

James Boyce outside Wrest Point Casino in Sandy Bay, Tasmania. Picture: Matthew Newton

“We’ve actually struck a number of agreements with industries and other stakeholders over the course of the last few years,” Ms White said.

“And I’m proud of that. It actually demonstrates our commitment to listen, to consult, and to work on a range of issues.”

The deal with the THA essentially commits Labor to supporting the Liberal policy it fought so hard against at the 2018 election, including owner-operator pokies in pubs and clubs.

Author and pokies control campaigner James Boyce said Labor’s deal, only made public after it was leaked to the media, effectively committed the party to an industry veto on harm minimisation.

“The worst aspect of this sellout by Tasmanian Labor is giving big pokie chains a right to decide ‘workable’ regulations,” Mr Boyce said on Twitter.

“As the Gaming Commission says, all effective harm reduction measures mean reduced revenue. The THA will support none of them.”

The Liberal government was also accused of secrecy on poker machine regulation, with Premier Peter Gutwein refusing to say what new tax rate would be applied to the machines in casinos under imminent changes.

“Every voter and journalist should accept that the Liberals are proposing a tax cut for their wealthy benefactors,” Mr Boyce said. “Clearly they would have ruled out a cut if it wasn‘t coming.”

Mr Gutwein has argued the issue has already been dealt with in his party’s longstanding policy, and was not one for the current election campaign.